yarn ho!
I’m fortunate to live only an hour’s drive away from the Bernat/Patons Yarn Factory Outlet store (in Listowel, ON). Twice a year, they have a massive sale, and it’s winter sale time again! Last winter, I went to the same sale, had an amazing time and bought a boatload of yarn. This year, it was a totally different experience for me: since becoming self-employed, my attitude to spending has changed. I’ve always been careful with money, but these days I rarely buy anything! As I walked around the store filled with amazing bargains, all I could think was “do I really need that?” and “24 balls of Patons Grace for $48 – I can’t spend $48 on yarn I don’t need!”
Just noticed that this photo makes it look like a fabric store with a bit of yarn! In every other direction, the store is floor to ceiling yarn 🙂
Everyone else in the store was literally filling black garbage bags with yarn! They probably make sweaters and afghans and other bulky items. My typical crocheted item takes less than 1 skein of yarn, so how could I justify that kind of buying? One lady stepped away from her bag of goodies for a moment (to pick up some more yarn), so I took the opportunity to snap this photo as evidence:
No, that’s not rubbish – it’s a bin bag full of yarn!
I was actually prepared to leave empty-handed, and then I saw the bin filled with mill ends of novelty yarns and other oddments, priced at 20c/oz. That’s practically free! I combed through the entire bin (and it was a big bin!) and managed to find some treaures. I ended up with 21 balls of various yarns for around $8:
My meagre haul
I also picked up this handy pair of snips with a cap that will be perfect to keep safely in an on-the-go project bag:
So, even though I didn’t really take advantage of the sale, I don’t feel too bad – I’m actually quite proud that I only spent $10!
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Susan being Snippy said
it looks like a great opportunity to add to the stash! But somewhat like you, I am trying more to be process orientated and purchase what I need for the current or next project instead of bins full of yarn — BUT the extra yarn sometimes does sneak in especially when my eyes are bigger than my project, meaning the project is too advanced for me or it is just too big of a project and I loose interest… $10 would be a good limit for me, too.
Kristin said
I live a little further away from Listowel – and got lost the first time I went (which made the trip 6 hours, door to door) – so I’ve only been twice. But oh, heaven!!!
If you’re close to Mississauga, you should also check out the Coats and Clark outlet – it’s at Kennedy and the 401. I’m working on an afghan that is going to cost me about $100 when all is said and done – but that’s a FAR cry from the $598 it would have cost me if I paid retail!
Yarn. Yum.
June said
Oh wow, how did I not know about this, Kristin – I used to live in Mississauga! Thanks so much for letting me know about it. I see another yarn-buying field trip in my future…
Ana Paula Rimoli said
I am SO EXTREMELY JEALOUS! Patons is my favorite yarn 🙂
You’re so lucky!
becky said
ouh i wish we had something like that here… I love yarn, but I make mostly figurines and small scale projects… but oh it looks so soft and cudly you just can’t help but want to pet it.
melissa said
hi june!
oh my gosh!
look at all of that yarn!
how fun that you get to go to their sale every year!
i love the things you got!
xoxoxo
m
Helen said
June – you showed amazing self-restraint. I would probably go totally nuts at a sale like that, not that I could afford to, lol.
June said
The temptation is there! They bag up the yarn in bags of 3 or 6 balls, and then have a ‘buy 3 get 1 free’ on the bags! So if you need/want a lot of the same type of yarn, you can really pick up some deals. But I haven’t had the time to crochet the sweaters I had planned for last year’s haul yet, so I can’t really justify buying more…